Folding box



June 8, 1937. H. G. SCHMIDT 2,083,036

FOLDING BOX Filed Sept. 16, 1935 swam tom H G. SchJnidt Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES FOLDING BOX Henry G. Schmidt, Modesto, Calif.

Application September 16, 1935, Serial No. 40,801 In Canada September 15, 1934 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in boxes, and particularly to those manufactured from bendable sheet material such as card or straw board and equivalent materials. The invention also deals particularly with one-piece boxes formed from a single blank of the material properly cut or stamped to shape and such as are used for the retail selling of candies and similar commodities. The sides and ends of the box are associated in connection with the bottom and with each other at the factory in such relation that the boxes may be shipped to the user in a flat condition, thereby taking up little space in shipment or storage.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a box of the above one-piece foldable character in which the parts are so arranged that when the box is to be used, a few simple and easily performed operations are all that are necessary to place the box in condition for use; and so that it has the desired rigidity and safety against possible collapse or refolding, without the use of adhesive of any character being then required.

I have also arranged the box so that it may have the extension bottom such as is extensively used in the candy trade, or it may be without the extension as in the case of the lids for such boxes; the final operations necessary to erect or place the box in condition for use being the same in both cases. I also arrange the box so that it presents a very neat and attractive appearance.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal-oi the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective inverted view of a lid for the box in condition for use.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the blank for the lid.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary inverted longitudinal section of the folded lid.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figures 1 to 3, the box (or its lid as herein shown) is formed from a one-piece blank B of relatively stiff but bendable material of suitable character, having the necessary fiber strength combined with a certain springy' flexibility and including a bottom 1, side walls 2 and end walls 3. The edges of the bottom are scored as at 3, which enables the blank to be manipulated so that the sides and ends may extend vertically. The edges of the sides and ends then come together as will be evident.

Projecting from the end edges of the sides 2 are wings 5, whose outer peripheries are preferably curved about a center taken at the junction of said edges with the scoring t. The radial length of said Wings corresponds to the height of the lid or box, which is that of the end walls 3, and in ordinary sized boxes is half the width of the box.

The lower edges E of the wings extend as direct parts by relatively wide scoring 8 extending ra-1 dially from the center of curvature of the wing edges, or diagonally of the box. When the sides and ends of the box are vertically disposed and the wings are bent at right angles to the sides along the line of scoring i provided therebetween, the edges E lie adjacent and parallel to the bottom of the box and the inner edges of the wings are adjacent each other. The adjacent lower portions 5a of the wings are then secured tothe end walls by suitable adhesive A applied to the inner face of said wing portions at the time of manufacture and. just before the folding operations, the remaining upper portions of the wings being Lin-adhered. The wide scoring 6 (about inch) facilitates unfolding when erecting the lid or box, and gives great ease of operation.

The sides and ends are therefore permanently tied together and the ends are braced and strengthened by the double thickness of material thus provided. At the same time the parts of the lid or box may be folded or laid out fiat without any strain or distortion such as would weaken the box and impairits rigidity and appearance when erected for use.

Additional strength is imparted to the upper unadhered portions 5 of the wings by curved ribs R struck therein, which are concave relative to the inside of the box. These ribs insure movement of the wing portions to an upright position without possibly buckling. 7

Narrow flaps 8 project outwardly from and extend along the outer edges of the sides 2 from end to end, scoring 8 being provided in the material along the line of junction of said flaps with the sides. The flaps at their ends are formed with deep extensions H3 so as to project to the bottom of the box when the flaps are folded inwardly. These extensions are provided with relatively large notches II which are cut therein from their outer edges. When initially assembling the box during its manufacture these flaps are folded inwardly and adhered throughout their area onto the inner faces of the sides. The notches thus form sockets with said sides, which sockets are open to the interior of the lid or box. The flaps form reinforcements for the sides along the top increasing their rigidity without materially adding to the weight.

Formed with and projecting outwardly from the end walls 3 are flaps I2 the same height and width as the ends; the blank being scored as at I3 to provide for a relative bending movement therebetween. Ears I4, the same size as the notches I I, are formed on the sides of these flaps in the proper position to engage the sockets when the flaps are folded inwardly, narrow scorings l5 being provided in the blank between the flaps and ears to facilitate the bending of the latter.

Relatively narrow flaps I6 are formed along the outer edges of the flaps E2 to rest on the bottom of the box when said flaps I2 are in place, scoring ll being provided in the blank along the line of junction of the flaps. When the box and its lid are sold to the user the ends lie in longitudinal alinement with the bottom, and the flaps I2 and I6 lie flat either in outstretched relation or folded over on the adjacent portions of the folded sides.

When it is desired to use the box the sides are opened up and the ends automatically move or fold toward each other so that the sides and ends move to a vertical cooperating position together.

The flaps I2 are then folded down inside the box,

without the use of adhesive.

When the flaps 8 are folded inwardly, and rigidly adhered tothe side walls, a double-ply portion of material is provided in the sides at the ends of the box. This narrows the interior width of the box at the ends by the thickness of the extra ply, so that the flaps I2 as folded into the box, and which are the same width as the major portion of the box, become firmly engaged and prevented from unfolding.

The parts are thus firmly held in place without the necessity of the user employing adhesive of any character and the box is placed in condition for use in but a few seconds time.

The lower edges of the extensions II] are provided with notches IE to receive the ends of the upwardly struck ribs IS on the bottom flaps I6. In this manner, a secure holding or locking of said flaps in place is obtained.

In all cases, the various score lines are designed as to width in proportion to the thickness of the box material used, and With regard to the degree of bending required, so as to provide for the necessary folding and unfolding operations without tearing or destroying the fibers of the material, while avoiding an undue springiness along the lines of bending. For instance, the scores 4 must be relatively wide While the ear scores are narrow, because with these parts, springiness is desired in order that after being bent, they will spring out into the sockets of themselves. The scores I5 are therefore so narrow and shallow as to maintain all the flexible fibers of the material unbroken along these lines. The edges of the blank, where cut, naturally present a different appearance from the surfacing of the material, which is quite noticeable if such surfacing is colored. To avoid this difference, I therefore intend to spray these out edges with coloring matter which will match the coloring of the surfacing.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A folding box formed from a one-piece bendable blank cut to form bottom, side and end walls, means integral with the blank and connecting the adjacent side and end walls in a manner to enable said walls to be disposed in vertical cooperating relation with each other or to lie in flat folded relation to the bottom wall, flaps formed with the end walls as extensions along the top edges thereof and adapted to be folded over into the box after the side and end walls have been vertically disposed and enclosing the connecting means thereof to prevent folding movement of the walls, elements formed with the side walls adjacent their ends and depending into the box in contact with the sides, additional flaps extending across the free end of the first named flaps and adapted, when the latter are folded into the box, to lie-on the bottom of the same, and an upstanding rib along each additional flap, the lower edges of the corresponding elements being notched to receive the ends of the rib.

HENRY G. SCHMIDT. 

